PRESS RELEASE
Presentation of the Report “Platforms, Businesses, and Employment in the Tourism, Catering, and Road Transport Markets in Italy”
INAPP: “41% OF HOTELS, CATERING, AND ROAD TRANSPORT BUSINESSES USE THE INTERNET TO ACQUIRE CUSTOMERS”
Forlani: “The digital platform economy offers businesses opportunities in terms of expansion, diversification of market share, reorganization of production, advertising, and marketing” – but emphasizes that – “during the period covered by the report, Italy, which was the first to face the consequences of the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic, experienced an acceleration in the digitalization process, which is beneficial, but it needs regulation to prevent companies investing in digital technology from facing excessive intermediary costs due to power imbalances in the digital economy market.”
Rome, 20 June 2024 – Without the use of online platforms, the tertiary sector cannot thrive. Nearly 20% of businesses use them to attract new customers, a figure that rises to 41% in the tourism sector. Revenue intermediated by digital platforms represents almost one-fifth of the revenues in restaurants and road transport companies, and around half of the turnover in the tourism sector. Digital platforms predominantly charge commissions, averaging 16.7% for these services in 2021.
These findings emerge from the new research report “Platforms, Businesses, and Employment in the Tourism, Catering, and Road Transport Markets in Italy: Results from the Inapp DPS Survey” presented today by Inapp (National Institute for Public Policy Analysis).
The study is based on data collected from the “Inapp Digital Platform Survey,” which, for the first time, interviewed a sample of 40,000 businesses in 2022, including those with fewer than 3 employees, representing the 298,991 businesses operating in Italy in the restaurant, tourism, and road transport sectors.
In the restaurant sector, 68% of contracts with platforms (37% in tourism) include dependency clauses for payment collection, and seven out of ten contract conditions derive from unilateral clauses. Similarly, unilateral requests for contract modifications from platforms are prevalent (32% in tourism and 20% in restaurants). Furthermore, one in four restaurants lacks access to customer information, and one in eight tourism businesses, potentially affecting market strategy.
Specifically, the report highlights that 41% of hotels, restaurants, and road transport businesses use the Internet to acquire customers. Other notable characteristics include:
- Businesses using digital platforms generally employ more staff compared to those using traditional channels.
- 8% of restaurants and tourism businesses generate more revenue through platforms than other channels.
- 4% of restaurants and tourism businesses use a single platform.
The INAPP report also warns of risks related to technological and financial dependence and power imbalances in the market, given that all leading platforms are multinational and not Italian.
Concluding the presentation, INAPP President Natale Forlani emphasized, “The digital platform economy provides businesses with opportunities for expansion, market diversification, and reorganization of production, advertising, and marketing. However, it is essential to regulate this aspect. During the period under review, Italy was the first to face the consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic, which accelerated digitalization. This has been beneficial, but it is necessary to regulate it to prevent companies from incurring excessive intermediation costs due to power imbalances in the digital economy market.”
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